Ghana likely to be slapped with another massive judgment debt

Ghana is likely to be slapped with another huge judgment debt as Teshie Family Hospital and Oil Company A.I battle over whether the latter has a right to build and operate a filling station next to the hospital.

The judgment debt may be slapped if the brewing tussle between the two groups does not simmer down anytime soon.

A.I was last year granted a permit by authorities to construct a two story office, which will see the construction of a banking hall, restaurant, lounge, shops and filling station among others.

The project is expected to service residents of the Ledzokuku- Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) and beyond, and also create hundreds of jobs for the community.

Documents cited by Citi News reveal LEKMA in October last year gave the oil company the go-ahead to construct the facility while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the same month also granted the company a permit to construct the facility.

In December 2013, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), as well as the Ghana Fire Service in May of the same year, also granted the oil company the license to build the facility.

However, management of the hospital raised objections to the construction of the facility despite the permits granted by the appropriate authorities for the construction to commence.

The hospital’s objection to the construction of the facility was the fear of a potential fire out-break or an explosion, or likely respiratory problems caused by the constant inhalation of fumes from the fuel station by patients and workers of the health facility.

A site plan cited by Citi News amid other documents reveal the oil service company has altered construction of the facility, as well as put in place measures to ensure these concerns are addressed.

The documents also reveal that the EPA before granting the permit imposed conditions on A.I after taking account the hospital’s concerns.

Among the conditions imposed was that, the pump and fuel tank be built at a certain distance opposite the facility and far away from the hospital; at a certain depth and in a manner that will be more secure and less likely to contaminate the environment in line with international standards for building such facilities in such areas.

A.I was also ordered to inculcate the latest technology, Vapor Recovery System (VRS), to ensure fumes emanating from the pumps are absorbed.

The VRS is a technology that absorbs about 98 percent of fumes pumps release.

Citi News has learnt the oil company is the first in the history of the country to introduce the technology.

Citi FM has also gathered that another condition that was imposed on the oil company before the permit was granted is the construction of a high wall to block any likely fumes emanating from the station, as well as the building of a shopping centre between the hospital and the fuel tank facility so there is a dividing structure.

Meanwhile, an earlier court ruling dismissed the hospital’s application seeking for an injunction to stop the construction of the filling station while the court decides on whether the station should be located there on not.

There are fears that if the process for the construction of the facility is halted by any of the state organizations, it will mean the state will have to cough the cost incurred by the oil company in putting up the project, which is likely to run into millions of dollars.

A visit to the site shows the project is already at its completion state.